Researchers: Lupus in Men Misdiagnosed Due to Bias
Lupus may be misdiagnosed or missed as a diagnosis in men due to bias, according to a recent study. The study revealed that race and gender play a significant role in the diagnosis of lupus.
Lupus is a rare autoimmune disease where diagnostic errors are common, according to the article. About 50% of patients are initially misdiagnosed and there is an average diagnosis delay of two years. These errors can lead to unnecessary medical treatments and significant long-term consequences, including complications from incorrect treatments, higher healthcare costs, decreased productivity, reduced quality of life, increased emotional stress for patients and their families, and a higher risk of death.
In a recent study involving 296 rheumatologists, researchers found that the race and gender of hypothetical patients influenced diagnoses of lupus. Specifically, when presented with identical cases, doctors were more likely to diagnose lupus for a black female patient compared to a white male patient. The study controlled for factors like age and clinical findings, suggesting that biases may stem from stereotypes about the prevalence of lupus in different racial and gender groups.
To further explore these biases, researchers conducted qualitative interviews with 41 rheumatologists to understand the contextual factors affecting diagnoses. Participants highlighted that diagnostic bias could lead to several negative outcomes for patients, including the worsening of diseases due to delays in diagnosis, unnecessary or incorrect treatments from missed or wrong diagnoses, and increased costs and harm.
Misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses are inconvenient at best, but can be harmful or even deadly. If you suspect that you or a loved one is a victim of misdiagnosis at a hospital or doctor’s office, contact a top Philadelphia attorney for misdiagnosis cases. In the last few years, almost every teaching hospital in the city of Philadelphia has paid 8-figure verdicts and settlements to clients of Tom Duffy.